Pivotal coupler connection



Oct- 17, 1933- s. B. HASELTINE 1,930,679

PIVOTAL COUPLER CONNECTION Filed Oct. 15, 1930 fig! Patented oct. 117, 1933 UNHTED STATES PIVOTAL COUPLER CONNECTION Stacy B. Haseltine, Chicago, Ill., assigner to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application October 15,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in pivotal coupler connections.

One object of the invention is to provide connecting means between the coupler and yoke of a railway draft rigging permitting lateral swinging movement of the coupler, wherein the coupler butt bears directly onl a butt block or front follower member cooperating with the shock absorbing mechanism within the yoke, the butt end of the coupler shank having bearing engagement with the butt block or'follower on relatively large areas to provide a rugged construction for transmitting bufng forces, and the coupler shank being guided with respect to the block to assure proper registering engagement of the bearing surfaces thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a device of the character described in the preceding paragraph, key means for operatively connecting the coupler shank to the yoke, in such a manner that the coupler after being swung to either side upon the car being operated on curved track, will be returned tocentered position by the expansive action of the shock absorbing means within the yoke.

A more speciiic object of the invention is to provide in a railway draft rigging connecting means between the coupler and shock absorbing mechanism, including a yoke member connected to the coupler shank by means of a transverse key, a front follower or butt block within the yoke cooperating with the shock absorbing mechanism and also cooperating with the butt end of the coupler shank, wherein the follower has a concave bearing seat cooperating with the convex bearing surface at the butt end of the coupler shank, and wherein the follower has spaced arms having interior opposed guide slots, the arms embracing the butt end of the coupler shank and the shank having trunnion means thereon guided in the slots.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear froin the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing, forming a part of this specication, Figure 1 is a horizontal, sectional view through the underframe structure of a railway car, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a detailed perspective View, partly broken away, of the coupler shank of my improved device. AndFigure 3 is a detailed, perspective view of the butt block or front follower.

In said drawing, 10-19 designates the spaced V channel shaped center or draft sills of the railway car underframe, to the inner sides of which are secured the usual front stop lugs ll-ll. As shown, the front stop lugs are formed integral with a striking casting member 12 having the usual carry iron member 13 formed integral 1930. Serial No. 488,846

therewith, a wear plate 14 being disposed on top of the carry iron member. As will be understood, the draft sills are provided with the usual rear stop lugs not shown and a shock absorbing mechanism indicated by 15 of any well known form is employed. The shock absorbing mechanism herein illustrated is of the friction type, comprising the usual friction shell, and cooperating friction means 16 having a wedge pressuretransmitting element 17 cooperating therewith. As willv be understood, the inward movement of the friction means and the wedge is resisted by the usual main spring disposed within the casing or shell.v

My improvements comprise broadly a coupler A; a yoke member B; a front follower C having longitudinal guides and bearing means thereon for the coupler butt; and a key D connecting the coupler shank to the yoke.

The coupler A, which is shown partly broken away, the head portion thereof being omitted, has a shank i3 provided with a transverse coupler key receiving slot 19. The butt end of the shank is rounded, as indicated at 20, to provide a rounded bearing surface. t the top and bottom the butt end of the coupler shank is provided with integral, cylindrical trunnion meinbers 21-21, which are concentric with the curved bearing surface at the but end of the shank.

The yoke member B is of well known form and comprises the usual hood member 22 at the forward endthereof, the side walls of the hood member being provided with alined slots 2li-2 3 in which the coupler key D is accommodated. The key D is of well known form and extends through the slot 19 of the coupler shank 18, the slots 23--23 of the hood of the yoke and also through alined slots 24-24 of the usual type provided in the draft sills lil-40. rlhe yoke member B has the usual loop section 25 withinwhich the shock absorbing mechanism l5 is disposed. As is well lmown, a rear main follower is usually employed in connection with the shock absorbing mechanism and yoke which cooperates with the rear stop lugs hereinbefore referred to.

The front follower C is in the form-of a relatively thick rectangular plate having a central forwardly projecting enlargement 26 thereon provided with a curved seat or socket 27 which cooperates with the butt of the coupler shank. The follower C is also provided with top and bottom forwardly projecting spaced arms 28-28 which are of the same width as the enlargement and have their outer surfaces respectively in alinement with the top and bottom faces of the main body portion of the follower. lThe enlargement and the arms 28 are of such a width that they are accommodated between the side walls of the hood member of the yoke, and the plate portion of the follower is of such a width that` the same engages with the front stop lugs 11-11 of the draft sills. As most clearly shown in Figure 3, the top and bottom arms 28 of the follower C are provided with interior, opposed, longitudinally extending guide slots 29-29 of such a width as to accommodate the top and bottom trunnions 21-21 of the coupler shank for sliding movement. The inner end walls of the slots 29 are preferably curved, as clearly shown in Figure 3.

'Ihe parts are shown in assembled relation in Figure l, the butt end of the coupler shank normally bearing on the interior bearing surface of the seat 27 and the trunnions 2.1-21 of the shank being disposed at the inner ends of the slots 29-29 of the arms 2S-28. As will be evident, the follower C acts in the manner of a swiveled butt block for the coupler shank, the coupler being swingable to either side of the centered position on said follower when the car is operated on curved track. As will be evident, when the coupler is swung to either side, the key D, which is engaged with the walls of the slot 19 of the shank, will be either swung therewith or the rear wall of the slot 19 will rock on the key. In case the key is swung, the front edge thereof at one side will be moved away from the front end wall of the corresponding slot of the hood of the yoke. In centering the coupler, the expansive action of the shock absorbing mechanism l5, which has been compressed when the coupler is swung to one side, will exert a rearward pulling action on the yoke, thereby swinging the key and the shank of the coupler back to centered position. In case the coupler shank rocks with respect to the key while the car is rounding a curve, the pulling force of the yoke through the expanding action of the shock absorbing mechanism will urge the key rearwardly, thereby causing the coupler to be rocked back to centered position by engagement of the straightrear edge of the key with the straight transverse rear end wall of the slot 19 of the coupler shank. The swinging movement of the coupler is guided by the trunnions 21--2l, which cooperate with the guide slots 29-29 of the follower C and also by the curved bearing engagement between the butt end of the coupler shank and the bearing surface of the pocket 27.

Assuming that the coupler shank is moved rearwardly or to the right, as viewed in Figure 1, the follower C will be forced inwardly directly through engagement of the butt end of the coupler Yshank with the seat of the follower'.

The trunnions of the coupler shank are thus relieved from strain during the puffing action and a substantial and rugged connection is provided between the coupler shank and front follower. Upon a draft or pulling action being applied to the coupler, the shank will be moved outwardly or to the left, as viewed inFigure l, pulling the yoke therewith through the connecting key I) and compressing the shock absorbing mechanism against the front follower C. As will be obvious during this action, the coupler shank is pulled outwardly with respect to the main follower C, the butt end of the same being guided in a straight path by the guide slots 29--29 of the arms of the follower through the medium of the cooperating trunnions 21-21. As will be evident during a draft action, the swiveling movement of the coupler shank with respect to the follower C is controlled by the trunnions 21-21 engaging the slots 29--29 and the butt end of the coupler shank is maintained Lesdeve in longitudinal alinement with the front follower C and the other parts of the railway draft rigging, the slots 29-29 being of such a length that the trunnions will not be disengaged therefrom during the maximum outward movement of the coupler in draft. As will be evident, the cooperating trunnions on the coupler shank and the slots on the arms of the follower, guide the butt end of the shank of the coupler when the same is moved inwardly with respect to thefollower so as to register the curved bearing surface 20 of the coupler butt with the cooperating bearing surface of the seat 27. n

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a coupler having the butt end of the shank thereof provided 'with a curved bearing surface; of a follower block having a curved bearing surface engaging with and concentric to the Ycurved butt end of the coupler shank and forwardly projecting top and bottom arms provided with opposed, alined, longitudinally extending slots radial to the center of curvature of the curved bearing surface of said block, said coupler butt having top and bottom trunnion meansV fixed thereto and concentric with the curved rear surface of the coupler butt and slidingly fitting and guided in the slots of the arms of the follower block.

2. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a yoke enclosing a shock absorbing mechanism; of a front follower within the yoke, said follower being held against movement in draft and being movable inwardly of the yoke in buff, said follower having a curved bearing seat at the forward side thereof; a coupler having a rounded bearing surface at the butt end of the shank thereof cooperating with said bearing seat, said coupler shank also having a transverse key slot; longitudinally extending, vertically aligned guide slots on the front follower, said slots being radial to the center of curvature of said curved bearing seat; trunnion means on said coupler butt slidable in said'guide slots during outward movement of the coupler in draft; and a key extending through the slot of the coupler shank and aligned slots in the yoke, said key connecting the yoke to the coupler for movement therewith in draft, but permitting movement of the coupler Vinwardly of the yoke in buff.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a vertical yoke; of a coupler having a rounded surface at the butt end of the shank thereof; a block having a curved bearing seat for said rounded bearing surface, said block having forwardly extending top and bottom arms provided with opposed, interior, longitudinally extending, vertically aligned guide slots, said slots being radial to the center of curvature of said bearing seat, said block being held against movement in draft; Ytrunnion means `fixed to the coupler butt slidable in said guide slots; and a key connecting the yoke to the coupler for movement therewith in draft, saidkey being movable inwardly with respect to the yoke in buff to permit inward movement of the coupler. STACY B. HASELTINE. 

